12. Opal
TWELVE
Opal
Age Sixteen
T oday is our end of year field trip. We’re going to the lake, which should be super exciting but for some reason it just isn’t.
Maybe because wearing a bikini in front of my entire class just doesn’t seem like a fun time to me. It’s basically like summer camp. We’re going swimming, playing flag football, and doing crafts all day.
The bus huffs and sputters until we reach our destination, about an hour away from home. It’s a hot day, and I can feel the perspiration gathering under my cotton t-shirt.
I strongly considered not wearing a swimsuit at all, but with it being this hot I didn’t feel like I had much of a choice. The girls and guys separate, marching into our different changing rooms. This place is rustic, everything has a log cabin vibe to it including the changing room we’re in. It’s stuffy and a little bit stinky in here.
“I’m so ready for summer,” Maisie says in the stall next to me.
“Not me. It’s already too hot.” I can just imagine her rolling her eyes at me. Maisie lives for summer. I wouldn’t mind it as much if we lived near the beach, but my summers tend to be boring, long, and sweltering.
“Whatever, as long as I don’t have to wake up for school I’m happy.”
I can’t argue there. Sophomore year has been long and strenuous. I’ve taken all AP classes both semesters, and I also joined the creative writing club which takes up a couple of hours each week.
Mainly I just needed something new to occupy my time. I’ve been lonelier this year.
I pull my swimsuit up over my body and slip my feet into my sandals.
When I step out of the stall and see Maisie staring at her reflection in the mirror, I start to regret my choice of bathing suit. Hers is a yellow string bikini, mine is a blue one-piece that only shows a tiny cut-out sliver of my stomach. My initial thought process was that wearing a bikini in front of everyone would be embarrassing, but now I feel like I’ll stick out like a sore thumb.
It’s funny, our bodies are so similar that based on that alone, people might think we were related, but our faces look nothing alike. Her eyes are a deep brown color and her hair is a dark russet. But we share the same slim, athletic build. Long, skinny legs, small breasts and butts, and somewhat wide shoulders. If she’s not afraid to show off her body then logically, I shouldn’t be either. But my brain is rarely logical.
She applies some more sunscreen, she’s always reapplying it because her skin is so pale. Mine isn’t extremely tan, but it’s definitely more on the olive side so I don’t burn quite as easily.
“Let’s swim,” she says as she slides her large, round sunglasses over her face.
“Can’t we just lay in the sun for a bit first?”
“Aren’t you the one that hates the heat? No, we’re swimming, get over it.”
I roll my eyes, adjusting my Rangers ball-cap to keep the sun off my face. I know it’s not worth arguing with her because she will get her way, and her way always involves swimming. She loves the water even more than I do.
As we walk out of the changing room and into the bright rays beaming down on the sand, I spot Alex and Brooke across the small lake. She’s also wearing a bikini, of course. Her body is as close to perfect as you can get. Tiny waist, curvy hips, and large breasts. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a sleek ponytail.
He’s gotten even taller, no surprise, and his tan torso is on full display right now.
I try not to stare at them, but it feels impossible.
How did my best friend in the world slip away from me so fast? As soon as Brooke started giving him her attention, it was like I no longer existed. We’ve only hung out a handful of times since then, and in the past six months I’ve hardly heard from him at all, other than an occasional “how are you?”.
It proved exactly what I figured was true. Girls like her end up with guys like him. And I have no damn clue where that leaves me.
Part of me knew it was coming, we’re in high school now. He’s popular, I’m not. But that doesn’t make it any less hurtful.
“Hello? Are you high or something?” Maisie waves a hand in front of my face, breaking my momentary hypnosis.
“What?”
“You’ve been staring at nothing for like five minutes, while I was talking to you.”
I finally pull my gaze away from the two of them. “Sorry, I didn’t sleep well, I’m kind of tired.”
“When aren’t you? You hardly ever sleep. I swear you need to see a doctor about that, it could be a sign of something serious.”
A smirk pulls at my lips as I shake out my towel and lay it on the sand. Maisie wants to be a nurse, so she obsessively reads about rare diseases and conditions.
“I’m fine, promise.”
“Come on,” she grabs my hand and pulls me towards the water. I reluctantly follow behind her, knowing it’s going to be uncomfortably cold.
“Maisie!” One of her guy friends, James, calls out to her and waves his hand. We wade over to him and the group of people surrounding him.
I feel entirely out of place, the same way I always do around Maisie’s other friends. She’s beautiful, so she gets a ton of attention from guys, but some of them come off as a bit sleazy.
“Opal, this is Cole. Cole, Opal.” James waves his hand between his friend and I. He’s tall, with short brown hair and a nice smile. I’m pretty sure he’s on the basketball team. He’s definitely cute, but not at all my type.
Maybe the problem is that there’s only ever been one guy that I felt was my type. I need to stop being so damn picky.
“Hi,” I give him a quick wave and a grin.
“Hey,” his eyes graze down the front of my body, and I suddenly feel two inches tall.
“Let’s play chicken,” James says, elbowing Maisie. “You want to, Maze?”
They’ve gotten close recently, and I can tell he’s really into her, but I think she’s just playing along because she’s bored. That’s usually her M.O. when it comes to guys, and I can’t say I blame her. Better than getting attached and hurt.
“Sounds fun. You in, O?” She smirks at me, knowing full well that this is not the type of thing I enjoy.
“Eh, I’m not sure…”
“Oh come on, don’t be a baby. I promise I won’t push you too hard.” She and James share a laugh before she splashes me playfully.
My heart races and I feel a bead of nervous sweat start to drip down my forehead before I wipe it away. “Okay,” I groan, and her face breaks into a smile. I’ve never been good at saying no to anyone, especially Maisie. She’s very convincing.
We climb onto the boys’ shoulders. Her on James, and me on Cole. It feels way too intimate having my legs wrapped around his neck, and I’m starting to wonder if the teachers are even okay with us playing this game. They don’t seem to be paying a bit of attention though.
The two of us try to push the other into the water, but unsurprisingly I’m the first to go down, and it doesn’t take long. I crash into the water with a loud splash, and it swallows me whole. It feels freezing cold on my neck and face, but it’s kind of a nice sensation. Certainly more comfortable than sitting on Cole’s shoulders.
I pop back up and wipe the water from my eyes. “Fuck you!” I yell at Maisie when I regain my ability to see. The three of them laugh at my expense, and I can’t help but laugh a little bit, too. My wet braid is stuck to my back and I know mascara is running down my cheeks. Wearing makeup today probably wasn’t my best idea.
She throws her arms around my neck and kisses me on the cheek playfully. “Love youuu.”